In case you haven’t heard, the recently released Head Start Performance Standards include a new provision that requires Head Start programs to address chronic absence. The requirements make it clear that agencies must begin to track children’s individual attendance, engage parents in understanding the relationship between attendance and success in school, and develop local strategies that encourage positive attendance habits from the outset of schooling.

Attendance Works has gathered some materials that can help Head Start programs put together plans and data reports so they can comply with the new Head Start requirements.

* Attendance Works is developing an excel-based Preschool Attendance Tracking Tool (PATT) and encouraging major Head Start data providers to integrate chronic absence reports included in the PATT directly into their data systems. Please email info@attendanceworks.org if you would like to register for access to the Preschool Attendance Tracking Tool (PATT) tool once it is available.

* Two technology providers for Head Start are interested in developing management tools. COPA has already integrated chronic absence reports into its system. Child Plus is considering adding in new chronic absence data into its regular reports.